Automated route generation begins with classifying constraints. This is the process of dictating how undesirable a constraint (environmental, engineering, cost etc.) is to route through. This exercise usually requires input from various team members with different areas of expertise during a live, real-world project. However, for the purpose of training, you can classify constraints semi-arbitrarily so there is no need to get the team involved at this stage.
In more traditional manual-style routing methods, constraints are typically handled in a qualitative style - i.e. - "Avoid that at all costs" or "if we can avoid going near there it would be better".
However, Optioneer doesn't process abstract information and therefore requires quantitative classifications known as penalties. The penalty of a constraint may reflect any combination of the following - risk, impact, cost or policies.
The table below demonstrates how we convert a more traditional qualitative-based routing approach to constraints to a quantitative-based penalty system. An exponential scale is utilised for penalties due to more efficient modelling of constraints.
Applying Penalties to Constraints
For the purpose of training, you can classify results in Optioneer. When working on a live project we advise you carry out constraint classification in a data register.
Assigning penalties to constraints happens in the Parameters window. If you need to remind yourself how configurations work head to 'Onboarding 2.1 Creating a Basic Configuartion'. If you are confident that you are up to speed, carry out the following steps.
Create a new configuration.
Marry your data layers to the correct sets.
Toggle on the following design rules
Routeing Constrinats - calculate penalty
Environmental Constraints
Linear Features
Please note that these design rules are the penalty-based design rules and are the key design for route generation.
Click 'update configuration' and click 'save configuration'.
In each design rule, you will see a table containing each data layer. In the left-most column, you can add or remove a penalty.
To add penalties in bulk, select the box to the left and the pen icon at the top of the table and provide the penalty you wish to assign to all of them.
At the bottom of the design rule, you can select which data layers are considered a no-go. Even if you enter a penalty for this data layer, it will be ignored. You will notice that you cannot make linear features a no go zone, but you can mitigate crossings by adding penalties.
Save your configuration!